Back in September 2023, I introduced you to a favorite website of mine, The Nosher. In that article, I quoted: “The Nosher offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond.” I also mentioned an Iraqi apricot meatball recipe I planned to try — and it has since become a family favorite. I highlighted that the Jewish Federation allocates to The Nosher’s parent company, 70 Faces Media.
In 2019, The Nosher posted a recipe for Iraqi Chicken Stuffed with Spiced Rice, which has also become a family favorite. The recipe calls for baharat, described as “a multipurpose spice blend used across the Middle East, including in Israel, to flavor meat, vegetable, and rice dishes, as well as soups and stews. Like most blends, the recipe for baharat varies from cook to cook, but typically includes some combination of black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, and coriander.”
This week, The Nosher featured another recipe, “Libyan Stew,” which again features baharat. I’m eager to try it.
Those of us of Ashkenazi descent inherited spice cabinets with just a handful of spices: salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and for some (mostly Hungarians), paprika. That’s it. (No disrespect to all our grandmas who made the best noodle kugel — just noting our historical limitations.)
We now live in a world where the finest spices are just a click away — if only we knew how to use them. With that in mind, please mark your calendars for March 19, 2026, for an evening with Yaniv Cohen, “The Spice Detective.” Yaniv is a chef, cooking instructor, and spice enthusiast, a Sephardic Jew with North African and Middle Eastern roots. He is coming to help us expand our spice repertoire. From his website:
“My goal as ‘The Spice Detective’ is to … share all that I have learned and help incorporate those spices into everyday simple dishes that will not intimidate any level cook.”
So, read The Nosher, join their email list, mix up some baharat, and get ready for the Spice Detective!